Waterproofing apparatus



Jun s, 1943.

H. c. KocH u'nanrnoonue APPARATUS ori inal Filed Dec, 18, 1939 '5 Sheets-Sheet 1 v Her'ery Cdlack- (Q 2m 29 June 8, 1943. l-L c. KOCH WATERPROOFING APPARATUS Original Filed ngc. 1a, 1939 f 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 v Jfaezzar Q9622) CI Jfacfa Q9 3% 21%;, EM dag 5 June 8, 1943. H. c. KOCH v 2,321,397

wusaraoomm Arrlmgwus Original Fiied'DecL18, 1939 5 SheetfSheet 4 v n' PM 1 Wlll June 8, 1943. H. c. KOCH p i 2,321,397 I A i 1 WATERPROOFING APPARATTU'S Original Filed Dec. 18, 1939' ssneets-sneet 5 7/////// ///////////4/// I //1 1 1/ 1 l g j ezzry 61%0072 63 KM 202% @mg, M.

Patented June 8, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE' WATERPROOFING APPARATUS Henry C. Koch, Chicago, Ill.,- assignor to Abbott Coburn, Chicago, Ill.

Original application December 18, 1939, Serial No. 309,896. Divided and this application April 9, 1941, Serial N0. 387,724

8 Claims.

Usually in the production of such siding the base boards, which are formed of a wide variety of fibrous materials, such as for example wood fibers, straw fibers, or bagasse, or a mixture of certain of these fibers or a mixture composed of these fibers and other fibrous material, compressed into board form, such a base board, by way'of example, being that known as Insulite, are subjected to an operation whereby they become more or less completely impregnated throughout all of their surfaces with a hot waterproofing fluid, of such character that it penetrates into the boards and upon cooling to atmospheric temperature becomes hard, forming hard layers in all of the outer portions of the boards composed of the solidified impregnating fluid and the fibers penetrated and increased thereby, with the outer faces of the boards exposing their original texture; such as for example an asphalt compound as commonly provided forthis purpose.

Boards of the general character above referred to contain in their natural state such a degree of moisture as to require, in accordance with methods of impregnation hitherto used, either the drying of the boards preliminary to the impregnation thereof, or the performance of the impregnating operation at a slow speed, reflecting on the cost of producing the finished boards.

It is therefore one of my objects to provide a novel apparatus for the impregnating of boards with waterproofing material, particularly of the character above referred to. whereby the boards may be impregnated-with the waterproofing material to the desired depth, variable at the will of the operator. and uniformly, at a greater speed than hitherto possible and without producing warping or deformation of the-boards or rendering the waterproof layers porous.

Another object is to provide a novel construcby which the impregnating operation may be performed quicker than hitherto possible.

Another object is to provide for the impregnation of each of the surfaces of the board to a uniform depth throughout its extent, and to provide. for the varying of the thickness of the impregnated layers of the board in the opposite faces, one to the other as desired and of especial importance in connection with the economical production of building siding of the grit coated type, wherein the face portion of the board which is outermost when applied to use may be imtion of apparatus for impregnating boards and pregnated to a lesser depth than its inner face portion and still present, in combination with the usual adhesive coating applied to the outer face portion of the board for adhering the grit thereto, a structure which will be satisfactorily protected against the weather, and with an impregnated layer in its inner face portion of suflicient thickness to satisfactorily protect the board against access of moisture thereto through its inner face.

Other of my objects will be apparent from the following description of the invention,

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the entering end of the impregnating apparatus.

Figure 2 is a plan view ofthe part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of the delivery end of the impregnating apparatus.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken at the line 5 on Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken at the line 5 on Fig. 5 the arrow.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken at the line I on Fig. 4 and view-in the direction 8f the arrows.

and viewed in the direction of Figure 8 is a fragmentary section taken at the 3 of the arrow illustrating a portion of 'fluid-spraying means forming a part of the apparatus.

Figure 10 ,is a view in longitudinal sectional elevation of a portion of the, impregnating ap-' paratus intermediate its entering. and delivery ends.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary plan Sectional view taken at the'line H on Fig. and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 12 is a view in longitudinal sectional elevation of the delivery end' of means for subjecting the boards, to which impregnating fluid has been applied, to the action of heat; and the conveyor for the boards; and

Figure 13, a broken cross-sectional view taken through a board impregnated with a waterproofing fluid in accordance with my invention.

The illustrated apparatus comprises a tank 14 shown as extending .below the ground line, for holding a bath l5 of hot waterproofing material, as for example and preferably, of the character above referred to, by which fiber boards such as those of the character above described and usually approximately /2" thick and represented at [5, are to be impregnated; the tank being covered at its top by a housing llopen at its opposite ends, the top of which is made of removable and replaceable cover sections l8 supported on the sides of the housing l1.

Associated with the tank l 4 are continuously operating conveyor means for carrying the boards through the tank and in contact with the bath I5.

The conveying means referred to are shown as comprising a plurality of endless sprocket chains I9, shown as four in number, arranged side by side in spaced apart relation and engaging sprockets and 2| secured to cross shafts 22 and 23, respectively, journaled at 24 and 25 on frameworks 28 and 21 located above the tank l4 at opposite ends thereof; the chains I9 hav-- ing outwardly extending lugs 28 in alignment with each other crosswise of the apparatus and spaced apart on each chain a distance somewhat greater than the width of the boards -to be con veyed through the tank.

The chains l9 between their ends extend into the bath i5 and are guided by tracks located beneath the upper and lower reaches of the chains.

The tracks for the upper reaches of the chains 69 are shown at 29 and are provided as relatively narrow strip members located beneath the upper reaches, respectively, of the chains and on which the links of the chains run.

The tracks 29 which are supported on cross bars 30 provided on the frameworks 26 and 21 and in the tank l4, extend substantially the full length of the space between -the sprockets 20 and 2i and present straight, substantially horizontal, terminal portions 3| in front of the entering end of the tank l4; straight, substantially horizontal intermediate portions 33 extending into the tank l4 and located below the level of the bath l5; and inclined portion 34 and 35 located in the tank, the inclined portions 34 being located between the terminal portions 3| and the intermediate portions 33, and the inclined portions 35 at the opposite end of the tank.

The tracks for the lower reaches of the chains l9 are shown at 36 and are of the same construction as the tracks 29 and are supported in the same way, the tracks 36 having straight substantially horizontal terminal portions 31 adjacent. the entering end of the tank l4: straight substantially horizontal intermediate portions 38; and inclined portions 39 and 40, ail'of these portions of the tracks 35 paralleling the corresponding portions of the tracks 29 above described for the upper reaches of the chains l9, the lower reaches of the chains l9 engaging the tracks 38 at the lugs 28 on these chains.

To insure against upward displacement of the lower reaches of the chains l9 rollers 4| are provided in the tank l4 above the lower reaches of the chains l9 adjacent the lower ends of the inclined portions of these chains.

The drive for the conveyor chain [9 is shown as comprising a power device 42 of any suitable construction, the drive shaft 43 of which is connected with the sprocket shaft 22 to drive it at the desired speed :by means of step-down sprocket and chain mechanism shown as comprising a small sprocket 44 on the shaft 43 connected by a sprocket chain 45 with a larger sprocket 46 on an intermediate shaft 41, and a small sprocket 48 on the intermediate shaft 41 connected by a sprocket chain 49 with a large sprocket 50 on the sprocket shaft 22.

From the foregoing it will be understood that in the use of the apparatus the boards, such as for example "Insulite boards, to be impregnated with the waterproofing fluid, are applied one by one to the upper reaches of the chains I9 in the spaces between adjacent lugs 28, atthe entering end of the impregnating apparatus, to the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and in the continuing movement of the conveyor are carried through one end of the housing Il into the bath l5 and thence out of the bath through the opposite end of the housing.

In the use of this apparatus the boards in the fore part of their movement in the bath l5 are caused to be only partially submerged therein, whereby the upper surfaces of the boards extend above the level of the bath; and thereafter the boards, in their continuing movement in the bath, are caused to become covered at their upper surfaces with the waterproofing fluid, for the purpose hereinafter explained.

Accordingly in the particular apparatus shown the bath I 5 would be maintained at such a height that partial submergence only of the boards will result in the fore part of their movement in the bath, preferably at such height that the boards will be permitted to float in the bath and still extend into a position in which they will be engaged at their rear edges by the adjacent lugs 28 on the conveyor chains l9 for feeding them along the bath.

At the point at which it is desired contact of the waterproofing material with the upper surfaces of the board to beinitiated, means, in the apparatus shown, are provided for forcing the boards downwardly to fully submerged position in the bath, these means comprising a series of spring fingers 5| (Figs. 10 and 11) supported on a cross bar 52 in the tank l4 and extending lengthwise of the tank and adapted to bear down on the boards as they pass below them and force the boards into fully submerged position.

The means referred to are supplemented by other means extending therebeyond in the line of travel of the boards, for continuing the supplying of the waterproofing fluid to the upper surfaces of the boards for the desired length of time; these means involving the showering of the heated waterproofing fluid upon the upper surfaces of the boards and comprising a plurality of spray pipes 53, shown as interconnected, extending crosswise of the tank l4 and in communication with a suitable source of the hot waterproofing material.

Located beyond, andadjacent, the delivery end of the tank I4 is a pair of hollow rolls 54 and 55 v 4 2,321,397 v(Figs. 3, 4 and '1) serving as board feedinz means and means controlling the thickness and uniformity of the coating of waterproofing fluid I allowed to remain on the board at this stage of the operation.

The rolls in and as are joumaled in a stand 55 and are adapted to be maintained heated to the desired degree, as for example bysteam supplied to the interior of these rolls through pipes 51 and 58 leading from any suitable source of steam supply and connected with the rolls in any suitable way, as for example in accordance with the common practice of supplying steam hollow rolls for heating them.

The rolls 54 and 55 are relatively adjustable toward and away from each other for the purpose hereinafter described, as for example by mounting the journal boxes 59 for the upper roll 54 in vertical slideways 60 at opposite ends of the stand 58 and providing adjusting means for these boxes; the means shown for this purpose comprising vertical shafts BI joumaled in the stand 56 and having threaded connection at their lower ends with the boxes 59; bevel gears 82 on the upper ends of the shafts BI; bevel gears 53 on a shaft 64 extending crosswise of the apparatus and journaled in the stand 55, the gears 52 and 83 intermeshing, and a hand wheel '65 on the I shaft 54.

In the construction shown the rolls 54 and 55 are connected together by gears 56 and S1 to cause the rolls to rotate at the same surface speed as the speed of travel of ,the conveyor chains I9, and are positively driven, to drive them in the same direction as these chains, as by a sprocket chain 68 engaging sprockets 59 and 19 on the shaft 23 and roll 55, respectively.

Located beyond the rolls 54 and 55 is a drying oven II through which the boards after passing through the rolls 54 and 55 are conveyed, for drivingvsuch of the water-proofing material as may remain on the surfaces of the boards, into the boards, by the action of heat, preferably leaving exposed the original texture of the face portions of the boards.

The oven referred to may be of any suitable the chains I9 by the means hereinafter described.

Means are provided for conveying the boards from the rolls 54 and to the upper reaches of thechains I2, the means-shown for this purposecomprising a series of sprocket chains 8| interspersed with the chains 12 and extending lengthwise of the apparatus and engaging sprockets 82 on a cross shaft 83 carried by'the stand 55 and sprockets 84 carried on a cross shaft 85 journaled in the framework 21, the upper reaches of the chains 8| inclining upwardly and rearwardly from a point adjacent the rolls 54 and 55.

The chains 12 and 8| are driven through the medium of a sprocket chain 86 engaging a sprocket 81 on the lower roll 55 and a sprocket 88 on the shaft 11, and by a sprocket chain 89 connected with sprockets 90 and 9| on the shafts ll and 85, respectively.

In'practice it would be desirable to associate with the tank I4 a source of the hotwaterproofing fiuid, as for example in a still (not shown) wherein the waterproofing material would be maintained approximately at the temperature desired of the material in the bath I5,as for example about 400 F., and to continuously circulate the waterproofing material in the tank I4 to the still and back to the tank.

.Accordingly in the arrangementshown the apparatus is provided .with a sump92 opening at 93 above its bottom into the upper portion of the tank I4 at the delivery end of the tank, a vertically adjustable gate 94 having an opening 95 registering with the opening 93 being provided to control the height of the bath I5. An outlet pipe 96 depends into the sump 92 and would lead to the inlet of the still referred to, the outlet of the still connecting with a pipe 91 which depends into the bath I5 at the entering end of the tank I4 and has a branch pipe section 98 through which a portion of the waterproofing material supplied to the pipe 91 from the still construction and heated in any desirable way 5 preferably to a temperature slightly below that which would injuriously affect the material of which the boards are made, as for example from about 350 F. to about 400 F.

The oven II has openings in its opposite ends; and means for conveying the boards through the oven are provided; the means shown for this purpose comprising a plurality of sprocket chains 12 (shown as four in number) spaced apart and extending longitudinally of the apparatus and provided with outwardly extending lugs 13 shown as spaced apart a distance somewhat less than the width of the boards. To support the chains 12 intermediate their ends, tracks 14 and I5, each is supplied to the spray pipes 53. Any suitable means for thus circulating the waterproofing material, as for example pump means, would be provided.

The procedure for waterproofing the boards is as follows:

The boards I6 to be waterproofed are applied to the conveyor chains I9, at the entering end of the apparatus, to extend between adjacent lugs 28 on the chains I9, these chains serving to convey the boards into the entering end of of strip form, are supported to extend below the upper and lower reaches, respectively, of the chains I2, the upper reaches bearing at their links on the upper tracks 14 and the lower reaches bearing at their lugs 13 on the lower tracks 15. a

the tank I4 and to the bath I5'in which the boards are only partially submerged in the bath as stated. In the continuing movement of the chains I9 the boards are carried beneath the presser fingers 5I which cause the boards to become fully submerged in the bath I5, and subjection of the upper surfaces of the boards to the waterproofing material continued by the showering of the waterproofing material from the spray pipes 53 to the upper surfaces of the boards in the conveying of the boards beneath these pipes; the boards passing between guides 32 the lower, inner ends of which are deflected outwardly. The boards in passing out of the tank l4 pass beneath spring fingers 99 secured to one of. the cover sections i8 which serve toensure against displacement of the boards as they are carried up the upper end of'the incline and over the sprockets 2I.

The chains I9 serve to feed the boards along guides I99 to the rolls .54 and 55 which advance the boards to the conveyor chains 8| and determine the thickness and uniformity of the coating of waterproofing material remaining on the boards at this point in their movement.-

The conveyor chainsBI advance the boards to a position directly above the conveyor chains I2 and discharge them upon the lugs 13 of these chains as shown in Fig. 3; the boards thus assuming the tilted position shown in which position they are carried through the drying oven 1|, wherein such of the waterproofing fiuid as may remain on the surfaces of the boards upon entering the oven, is caused to penetrate into the boards by the heat to which it is subjected.

The heat in the oven II serves to drive into the boards such of the waterproofing material as may remain on the surfaces of the boards when passed into the oven, leaving exposed the original texture of the face portions of the boards.

The layers of waterproofing material in the opposite face portions and the edge portions of the finished boards, resulting from the operations stated, are thus caused to be composed of hard solidified waterproofing material and the fibers penetrated and indurated thereby.

The feature of the partial submergence of the fiatwise positioned boards in. the bath I5 of waterproofing material, followed by the contacting of the upper surfaces of the boards with the waterproofing material, is of great practical importance. By this procedure the heat of the hot waterproofing material in which the boards "are partially submerged, serves to vaporize the moisture in the boards, and particularly because of the thinness of the boards, quickly drives it out of the boards through their upper surfaces beforce the waterproofing material is applied to the upper surfaces of the boards. Thus the boards are in a condition rendering them highly receptive to the application of waterproofing-ma'-.

terial to their upper surfaces to the desired depth, for producing the desired waterproofed layers in their upper portions, rendered impervious to moisture by reason of the fact thatfoaming or bubbling of the waterproofing material is avoided as such moisture as would produce this action has preliminarily been expelled from the boards as stated.

As will be understood, theboards would, by

preference, be maintained partially submergedonly for such length of time as necessary to drive out substantially all of the contained moisture, in the boards and subjected at their upper surfaces to the waterproofing'fiuid for a length of time sufficient to ensure in the finished boards the desired depth of layers of waterproofing material in their upper portions, it being understood that in these operations the waterproofing material penetrates the surrounding edge portions of the boards as also the bottom portions of the boards.

Preferably the boards are totally submerged for such length of time as to ensure in the finished boards a greater depth of layer of waterproofing-material in their upper portions than in their bottom portions, it having been discovered that, by reason of. some action, not known to me, the rate at which the waterproofing material penetrates downwardly through the upper portions of the boards, following the removal of the moisture therefrom as stated, is much faster than that at which the waterproofing material penetrates upwardly through their bottom portions, and in spite of the fact that the bottom portions of the boards are subjected to the action of the waterproofing material for a much longer time than the upper portions of the boards, greater thicknesses of layers of waterproofing may be produced in the upper portions of the boards than in their lower portions. Thus, by way of example, boards having a lower layer of about 1*," of waterproofing and an upper layer of about may be produced.

This feature of differential thickness of waterproofing layers is of considerable practical importance, particularly in the case of grit-coated building siding especially from the standpoint of economy or manufacture. Such structures to meet the conditions of practice should have in the face portions thereof at the inside of the siding, a layer of waterproofing considerably thicker than that required at their opposite face portions, inasmuch as the outer face portions of the boards are commonly coated with a layer of adhesive for adhering the grit thereto and this, with the relatively thin waterproofing layer formed on the boards, is sufilcient to protect against access of moisture to the interior of the boards through their outer faces.

In Fig. 13 I have illustrated an example of aboard, the edge portions of which are so shaped, in accordance with common practice, as to form ship-lap joints with similar boards grouped with it in applying the board to use, which has been impregnated in accordance with the above described procedure. The hard waterproof layers in the upper and lower portions of the board and in its edge portions, produced by the impregnating operation, being shown at II, I 02, and I03, respectively; it being understood that the edge portions of the board normal to the edges shown would have hard layers of the waterproofing material formed therein as in the case of the edge portions shown.

The board shown in Fig. 13 has been impregnated in accordance with the preferred procedure above described, namely, to produce a thicker layer of the hard waterproofing material in its upper portion than in its lower portion, the layer IOI thus being shown as considerably thicker than the lever I02, these two layers in practice, by way of example, being about one-eighth inch and one-sixteenth inch, respectively.

As will be understood, the provision of the hard waterproof layers at the surfaces of the board greatly strengthens the board; and results in the leaving of a core, represented at I04 of the original untreated fibrous material; the feature of the provision of the layers IM and I 02 of different thicknesses, and still thick enough to serve their intended purpose, being an important factor in the economical production of the finished boards.

The removal of the moisture from the boards by the procedure as defined herein before applying the waterproofing material to the upper faces of the boards is of considerable practical importance as the possibility of air being driven from the boards by heat through the hot waterperformance of the impregnating operation at great speed and at the same time avoids the necessity of heating the boards before initiating the impregnating operation.

As will be understood, the degree to which the impregnating waterproofing material is caused to penetrate the boards would depend on the timing of the waterproofing treatment and the temperature of the bath (the hotter the bath the greater the penetration).

The squeeze rolls 54 and 55 serve to squeeze out all, or a portion, of such of the waterproofing material as may remain on the boards upon. leaving the bath, and serve to cause such excess of waterproofing material as may be left on the upperand lower faces of the boards, to be rolled down to uniform thicknesses throughout the areas of these faces. The adjustability of the upper roll 64 serves to accommodate the apparatus not only to boards of diiferent thicknesses, but to the performing of the above function in connection with boards of difierent thicknesses.

No claim i made herein to the article per se nor to the method disclosed herein, as the article and method form the subjects of my applications copending herewith and bearing Serial Nos. 379,118 and 309,896, filed February 15, 1941 and December 18, 1939, respectively.

While I have illustrated and described a particular construction of apparatus embodying my invention, I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit the invention thereto as the same may be variously modified and altered and the invention embodied in other forms of construction without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. Apparatus for applying waterproofing material to boards, blocks, or the like, of fibrous material, comprising atank for hot waterproofing bath material, conveying means submerged in the bath closely adjacent its surface for conveying the articles through the bath in the tank with the articles only partially submerged in the bath in the fore part of their movement therein, and means for causing the' articles, as they continue their movement in the bath, to be subjected at their upper face portions to hot waterproofing material.

2. Apparatus for applying waterproofing material to boards, blocks, or the like, of fibrous material, comprising a tank for hot waterproofing material, means for conveying the articles through the bath in the tank with the articles only partially submerged in the bath in the fore part of their movement therein, and means for causing the articles as they continue their movement in the bath to be fully submerged.

3. Apparatus for applying waterproofing material to boards, blocks, or the like, of fibrous ma-- terial, comprising a tank for hot waterproofing material, means for conveying the articles through the bath in the tank with the articles only partially submerged in the bath in the fore part of their movement therein, means for causing the articles as they continue their movement in the bath to be fully submerged, and means for showering hot waterproofing material to the articles.

4. Apparatus for applying waterproofing material to boards, blocks, or the like, of fibrous material, comprising, in combination: a tank for hot waterproofing material; conveyor means operating below and adjacent the surface of a bath of hot waterproofing material in the tank; means carried by said conveyor means to move articles to be coated incontact with the material of the bath with the upper surfaces of the articles out of contact therewith during the first part of their movement; means to subsequently bring material of the bath into contact with the said upper surfaces while the articles are still moved by the conveyor means as during the first part of said movement; and means to maintain a constant level of the bath material.

5. Apparatus for applying waterproofing material to boards. blocks, or the like, of fibrous material, comprising, in combination: a tank for a bath of hot waterproofing material; an endless conveyor means traveling about sprockets at the respective ends of the tank above the level of the bath therein; means for guiding the upper run 01' said conveyor means intermediate its ends, to travel below and adjacent the surface of the bath; means carried by said conveyor means to propel separat articles to be coated from a position above the level of the bath at the feed end of the conveyor means to a position of contact with the bath and to elevate said articles above the level of the bath at the delivery end of the conveyor means.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein th propelling means is constructed and arranged to propel the individual articles while floating in the bath during at least the first part of their travel in contact therewith.

7. Apparatus for applying waterproofing material to boards, blocks, or the like, of fibrous material, comprising, in combination: a tank for a bath of hot waterproofing material; endless conveyor means comprising a plurality of sprocket chains; sprocket wheels at the respective ends of the tank above the level of the bath therein about which sprockets said chains travel; means guiding the intermediate portion of the upper run of said chains to travel below and adjacent the upper surface of the 'bath for a substantial distance in a substantially horizontal path, and down to and up from said intermediate position at the ends of its run; pusher means to act on articles lying freely on said chains during such ends of its run, to propel the articles along and freely floating on the bath during at least the initial portion of their contact therewith; whereby to lower said articles into contact with the bath and to elevate said articles out of such contact at the respective ends of the tank.

8. The structure of claim 7 with means to totally submerge the articles during the latter portion of their contact with the bath.

HENRY C. KOCH.

qERrmIoA'rs 0F CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,521,397. v June a, 1915,

1mm 0. noon.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed. specification of the above numbered patent requiring eo'rremtion as follows: Page 1, first column, line 51, for "increased." read --incased,-; and second eolxmn, line 1+3, for "view" read --v'iewed.--; page 14., first column, line 55-56; 'for "beforce" read -,before-; and seoond-column, line 15, for "lever" read "layer"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correcti on therein that thesame may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office. e a

Sign n al this 27th day. of m A.- D.' 1974;.

Henry Yen Arsdale; (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

